Jalandhar, September 7
In
view of Gurta Gaddi Divas, the Railways will run three special
super-fast trains from Ferozepur, Amritsar and Chandigarh to Nanded
from September 20 to November 12.

For the Malwa region, the Railways
will run 2715 C/ 2716 C Ferozepur-Nanded-Ferozepur super-fast special
train. According to railway sources, 2716 C will depart from Ferozepur
daily from October 15 to November 10 at 10.15 pm and reach Nanded on
the third day at 12.40 pm. The 2715 C will depart from Nanded daily
from October 17 to November 12 at 8.30 pm and will reach Ferozepur at
11.30 am on the third day.

Similarly, 2715 A/2716 A Amritsar-Nanded-Amritsar
super fast trains will run for the devotees of the Majha and Doaba
regions. 2716 A will leave Amritsar on September 20, 24, 28, and daily
from October 1 to November 10 at 1.40 pm and reach Nanded at 4 am on
the third day. On return, 2715 A will depart from Nanded 10.50 am and
will reach Amritsar at 11 pm on the next day. Having 2 tier AC, 3 tier
AC, 2nd sleeper and general coaches, these special trains will halt at
Jalandhar city, Ludhiana, Sirhind, Ambala Cantonment, Kurukshetra,
Karnal, Panipat, Delhi Safdarjung, Agra Cantonment , Jhansi, Bhopal,
Itarsi, Khandwa and Manmad railway stations.

Chandigarh-Nanded-Chandigarh
AC super fast special trains, 2715 B/2716 B will cater to Chandigarh
and its adjoining areas. 2716 B will leave Chandigarh on September 21,
26 and daily from October 1 to November 10 at 9.25 am and reach Nanded
5.40 pm the next day. Similarly on return, 2715 B will depart from
Nanded on September 23, 28 and daily from October 3 to November 12 at
7.45 am and will reach Chandigarh at 4 pm the next day.

Having 2
tier AC and 3 tier AC coaches, the trains will take a halt at Ambala
cantonment, Panipat, Delhi Safdarjung, Jhansi, Bhopal, Khandwa,
Bhusaval and Manmad stations. The train number 2715 B will have an
additional halt at Itarsi station.

Chandigarh, September 7
Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who has been indicted by the Vidhan Sabha’s Privileges Committee in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam, today claimed the decision to exempt the land from acquisition had been taken according to the policy laid down by Parkash Singh Badal during his previous regime. The present state government had exempted 1,260 acres in the same manner during the past one and a half years, he claimed.

Amarinder hit back at the SAD-BJP government, claiming it had exempted 1,260 acres from PUDA acquisition during its past one-and-a-half-year rule.

He said 302.13 acres had been dropped from acquisition after notifications of Sections 4 and 6 in June, 2004, and March, 2005, respectively, in Nangal Shama village on the Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar road. He said the scheme was dropped vide letter number 2827, dated April 30, 07. He said similarly 653.54 acres was also dropped from acquisition in Sultanwind village on the GT road, Amritsar, after notification of Sections 4 and 6 in June, 2004, and May, 2005, respectively. He said this scheme had been dropped under letter number 3770, dated May 21, 07.

Amarinder went and said 201.05 acres was dropped from acquisition after notification of Sections 4 and 6 in June, 2004, and June, 2005, respectively, in Barnala Kalan village, Nawanshahr. He said a letter in this regard was issued on May 17, 07.

Similarly, the former Chief Minister said, 104.05 acres was dropped from acquisition after notifications under Sections 4 and 6 had been passed in March, 2005, and January, 2006, at Bullapur village in Khanna.

He said a letter dropping this land had been issued under number 2828 on April 16, 07. He said land had also been dropped from acquisition in Mandofal, Attewali and Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district.

He said during his previous regime, Badal had exempted two properties, Amarjit Enclave and Doctor’s Enclave on 87 acres, from acquisition for the same Improvement Trust project in Amritsar, for which he had been indicted. He said the exemption of 32.5 acres to a private builder had been given under the same policy.

He claimed his government had, in fact, made the policy made during Badal’s previous government even more stringent by adding a clause that any such exemption to be given to PUDA must get a no-objection certificate from the local improvement trust. He said then local government minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and Amritsar Improvement Trust chairman Jugal Kishore had acted within the framework of this policy. It was “absolutely” incorrect to attribute any motives to the exemption.

Meanwhile, Amarinder loyalist Jeet Mohinder, claimed all land exempted from acquisition during the SAD-BJP government had been given to private builders.

Chandigarh, September 7
The indictment of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet colleagues Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and late Raghunath Sahai Puri and legislator Jugal Kishore Sharma by an all-party committee of the Vidhan Sabha has stirred up another hornet’s nest.

While Congressmen allege “it is a calculated move to frame Capt Amarinder Singh”, members of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance swear not only by fairness of the probe but also hold none of the three Congress members of the committee raised even a single objection at 14 of the 16 meetings of the committee.

Tabling of the report in the Vidhan Sabha has raised a pertinent question mark over corrupt or unfair practices by elected representatives of people.

In 2002, when cases of corruption were slammed on then SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal, his wife, Surinder Kaur, and son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Akalis had cried foul, saying it was “political vendetta and politics of witch- hunt”. Five years later, when Akalis, after coming to power, did the same, Congressmen retorted , making similar allegations of political vendetta and witch- hunt.

Common perception that any politician hardly gets convicted on corruption charges has been reiterated. Cases continue till these meet a quiet burial in officialdom.

“If all politicians, especially those belonging to the ruling party, are not corrupt, then all cases of misuse of official position and corruption also cannot be swept aside under the garb of political vendetta,” argues a political commentator. He warns against growing trend among the ruling parties to secure immunity against its misdoings or corrupt practices by taking legislative majority as a protective vest.

How can an important issue of tampering with the record of the state legislature or for that matter alleged illegalities committed to exempt 32.10 acres belonging to the Improvement Trust, Amritsar, be swept under the carpet in the garb of political vendetta? asks a senior Congress leader.

“In fact,Bir Devinder Singh, named not only best parliamentarian, but also remained the deputy speaker of the previous Assembly for some time, had raised the issue of tampering with Vidhan Sabha record pertaining to the Amritsar Improvement Trust case,” he adds.

What are the tools available for a legislator to raise issues of corrupt or unfair practices?

At best he can raise a question on the floor of the House and seek probe by a committee of the House. This is what has happened in this case.

It is not the merits of the case about which politicians are making statements but the technicalities: Whether a matter decided in the previous Assembly can be raised again or whether an identical case under judicial scrutiny makes the investigation into the case sub judice.

Legislature is a forum where everyone can project one’s viewpoint an important matter. Leaders and legislators of both treasury and Opposition benches have this forum to project the “truth” than ding -dong the issues of providing transparent and accountable governance. Blame game is ok, but it does not have the solution to the problems society faces.

Amritsar, September 7
BJP’s national secretary and in charge Punjab affairs Balbir Punj said Article 370 would be scrapped the next day of the formation of its government at the Centre after Parliamentary elections.

However, he clarified if the NDA would come to power at the Centre, the BJP would stick to the common minimum programme, finalised by like-minded parties.

Punj said Article 370 gave not only special status to Jammu and Kashmir on the score of religion but also emboldened separatists to seek separation of the state from India. He said it was a matter of great concern those who raised the slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad” on Indian territory were being given special status while many Hindus in J&K could not be given Indian citizenship. He said the Congress and its political alliance partner had been endeavouring to exploit the J&K situation for vested interests.

To a question, Punj said the BJP would not pursue the demand of giving the post of deputy Chief Minister to party in Punjab. He predicted the SAD and the BJP would win all 13 Lok Sabha seats. The UPA government wanted to postpone the Lok Sabha elections to avoid its position regarding the mess created in J&K, he added. However, such political tactics would not help the ruling UPA.

Provocation for the protest was a supporter of Kangar, Darshan Singh, had been arrested by the police in a theft case that turned out to be false. They flayed SAD district president Sikander Singh Maluka, who had defeated Kangar from Rampura Phul in recent Assembly elections, for pursuing the politics of vendetta. The MLAs condemned the Badal government for framing Congressmen.

Nabha, September 7
Row between Punjab Public School (PPS), Nabha, and the Shri Durga Atharah Bhuja Shiv Mandir Committee (R) seems to have revived. Atmosphere of the town gets charged after the school tells the mandir committee to vacate
its land.

On August 25 a legal notice served by Chander Shekhar Jolly under instructions of the state of Punjab through bursar PPS Alamjit Singh told the mandir committee to vacate the property ‘illegally’ occupied by it .

The notice give details the property in revenue records, situated at Nabha as per jamabandi for 1995- 1996; is the property of the state government and the same had been given to the school on permanent rent-free lease till the school exists.

It states the office-bearers of the mandir committee are illegally occupying the property in the name of the Shri Durga Atharah Bhuja Shiv Mandir Committee without authority. Through the notice, a Rs 9.60 lakh has also been demanded for illegally occupying the property for eight years. Failure to deposit the amount and vacate the property in seven days, will attract
legal action.

The mandir committee has written to the Patiala deputy commissioner to clear the stand of the state government in this regard. A meeting was organised on the mandir premises and 56 religious, political and social organisations attended it. It was decided the land under the control of the mandir committee would not be vacated.

SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra assured of support to the mandir committee. The Bajrang Dal, the VHP and the BJP leaders warned against any attempt to rob the temple of land. In 1999, the then headmaster of the school stopped the devotees from visiting the temple as they had to cross PPS gate no. 2. With this an agitation started and town remained tense for 15 days. Hindu bodies had damaged the boundary walls of the shrine and took control of it on August 3, 1999. In a compromise formula, the school left separate 20 feet wide entry from Patiala gate side adjacent the Rotary Club for the devotees.

Amritsar, September 7
After overcoming numerous glitches for handing over the historic Gobindgarh Fort, presently under the Army occupation, the district administration after prolonged negotiations has managed to give a go ahead for the restoration work of the fort from tomorrow.

After the restoration and conservation work, the fort would be handed over to the civil administration on October 2 to mark the Gandhi Jayanti. It may be recalled that on December 20, 2006, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had handed over the key of the historic fort to the then Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

DC Kahan Singh Pannu has been able to clear many webs after sorting out the nitty-gritty with senior army officers stationed in the fort garrison.

Talking to The Tribune, Pannu said the administration and the Army authorities had worked out a solution, wherein, the Army establishments in the fort would be properly segregated to give safety to their unit and also provide suitable camouflage by raising a wall with a cost of Rs 2.50 crore. A special road has also been constructed to provide a separate entry to the Army establishments.

He said the Ministry of Culture and Tourism had already earmarked restoration fund of Rs 2.50 crore that had been lying with the administration and would be used for proper facelifting and conservation of this historic monument, which one housed the residence of the tyrannical British army general, O’Dyre, responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

He said the central government had agreed in principle to handover the historic monument as a place of tourist attraction to the Punjab government and also to release sufficient funds for its proper restoration and revamping.

The fort also houses the infamous ‘fansi ghar’ where General O’Dyre used to see the hangings of Indian freedom fighters who were arrested for raising their voice for the country’s freedom. The fort occupies a unique place in the Indian military history. Built in 1760, it was called Bhangian da Kila (Bhangis was one of the 12 Sikh misles).

According to historians, in 1808 the fort was known as the fort of Gujjar Singh Bhangi. Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt it with the help of Jodh Singh. The legendary Maharaja fortified the fort in order to keep his treasures and treaties safely.

The majestic entrance has been named Nalwa Gate, after the great Sikh warrior. The other end of the gate is known as Keelar Gate and it is rumoured that in its proximity existed an escape tunnel, connecting to a tunnel in Lahore. However, the Army authorities said they had not been able to locate any such tunnel so far.

The British Army had added Darbar Hall, Hawa Mehal and ‘phansi ghar’ to the fort after the annexation of Punjab.

Mohali, September 7
In a move likely to affect urban settlements outside the municipal limits in the state Punjab government has decided to regularise such structures on payment of conversion fee and in keeping with the Punjab Urban and Development Authority (PUDA) building
rules, 1995.

The decision will cover buildings of medical and engineering colleges, hotels, units and other commercial establishments is not covered under the planning area of the respective local development authorities and the municipal bodies. Many such buildings have come up in the periphery of Chandigarh and
Mohali.

The Housing and Urban Development Department has conveyed the decision to the chief administrator of the PUDA. A public notice will be issued soon.

Sources said the decision would cover residential colonies. However, the beneficiaries would have to pay external development charges and change of land-use fee. Cases of affiliation to medical and engineering colleges have been hanging fire due to the absence of any competent authority to approve the building plans. “But the locus standi of the government in asking PUDA to deal with structures in rural areas is questionable,”
said an official.

Officials in PUDA reveal in towns like Mohali, Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Bathinda, a number of colleges have come up in a few years.

Due to break in continuity from the urban sprawl, the structures do not come under the purview of the local development authorities or the local government.

Nabha, September 7
Row between Punjab Public School (PPS), Nabha, and the Shri Durga Atharah Bhuja Shiv Mandir Committee (R) seems to have revived. Atmosphere of the town gets charged after the school tells the mandir committee to vacate its land.

On August 25 a legal notice served by Chander Shekhar Jolly under instructions of the state of Punjab through bursar PPS Alamjit Singh
told the mandir committee to vacate the property ‘illegally’ occupied by it.

The notice give details the property in revenue records, situated at Nabha as per jamabandi for 1995- 1996; is the property of the state government and the same had been given to the school on permanent rent-free lease till the school exists.

It states the office-bearers of the mandir committee are illegally occupying the property in the name of the Shri Durga Atharah Bhuja Shiv Mandir Committee without authority. Through the notice, a Rs 9.60 lakh has also been demanded for illegally occupying the property for eight years. Failure to deposit the amount and vacate the property in seven days, will attract legal action.

The mandir committee has written to the Patiala deputy commissioner to clear the stand of the state government in this regard. A meeting was organised on the mandir premises and 56 religious, political and social organisations attended it. It was decided the land under the control of the mandir committee would not be vacated.

SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra assured of support to the mandir committee. The Bajrang Dal, the VHP and the BJP leaders warned against any attempt to rob the temple of land. In 1999, the then headmaster of the school stopped the devotees from visiting the temple as they had to cross PPS gate no. 2.

With this an agitation started and town remained tense for 15 days. Hindu bodies had damaged the boundary walls of the shrine and took control of it on August 3, 1999. In a compromise formula, the school left separate 20 feet wide entry from Patiala gate side adjacent the Rotary Club for the devotees.

Chandigarh, September 7
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has ordered probe into the Suwidha Centres run by the Sukhmani Societies at different district headquarters of the state. A spokesman of the Punjab government said yesterday the Chief Minister had directed chief secretary R.I. Singh to have the matter probed and submit a report in 15 days.

The chief secretary has reportedly directed the divisional commissioners to probe the working of these centres in the districts under their jurisdiction and submit reports at the earliest.

Rs 5 crore to train
youth for jobs

Twenty-sixth meeting of the executive board of the Centre for Training and Employment of Punjab Youth (C-PYTE) was held here on Friday under the chairmanship of chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh. The meeting approved Rs 5 crore budget estimate for year 2008-09 to train 8,000 youths.

A spokesman of Punjab government said at present there were nine major C-PYTE campuses located at Theh Kanyla, Nabha, Ludhiana, Faridkot, Lalru, Kalijharani, Ranike, Dera Baba Nanak and Madhir to impart pre-selection training to youth for joining the Army, Air Force, central paramilitary forces and the police. He added 8,000 youths were enrolled and trained in 2007-08.

Chandigarh, September 7
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has set the ball rolling for the release of 22 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Amritsar and Gurdaspur jails for several years.

Acting on an e-mail received from the Ansar Burney Trust International, Karachi, on the human rights violations of the Pakistani prisoners in the Punjab jails, R.S. Mongia and K.K. Bhatnagar, chairperson and member of the commission, respectively, asked the officials concerned, including the ADGP (prisons), to explain the legal hitch in releasing and deporting the Pakistani prisoners.

In his e-mail, Burney, who is also a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, claimed that 22 Pakistani prisoners had been languishing in the jails for years.

One of the prisoners, Abdul Sharif, who was arrested in 1997 for three months under the Foreigners Act of India, has reportedly lost mental balance due to his overstay in the jail. Similarly, it had been a harrowing time for other prisoners and their families with their release stuck in the official rigmarole, the trust has asked the commission to take a humanitarian view of prisoners' plight.

Urging the PSHRC to take up the matter in the greater interest of justice and human rights, Burney wants the prisoners should be handed over to the trust for their proper return and rehabilitation.

Besides directing the authorities to comply with the orders, the commission has also roped in an NGO--Global Human Rights Council(GHRC)--to probe the matter and send a report to the commission by the next date of hearing which is September 26.

Recently, the trust and the council jointly worked for the release of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner languishing in Kot Lakhpat jail in Pakistan. A team of the GHRC will soon visit Pakistan in a bid to hasten the process of deporting the Pakistan prisoners in Punjab jails.

Nabha, September 7
The recent rain has exposed the civic body’s claims of preparedness on drainage etc.

Rains brought misery to the town as grounds get converted into ‘lakes’ and streets into ‘streams’. The Municipal Council reportedly has not taken measures to check the situation. Railway Road, Hospital Road, Kotwali Road, Model Road and roads from the five main entrances of the town to bazaars, have been under knee-deep water, making movement of vehicles
very difficult.

Residential areas like Pandusar, Kartarpura, Hira Mahal, Krishna Puri, Old Vegetable Market, Hospital Road and colonies around the Nabha Fort remain
inaccessible. Water from the Hospital Road enters the hospital. The bus stand and vegetable market also remain submerged.

Flooding is caused by lack of cleaning of drains and choked sewers. Garbage flows to doorsteps of houses. Drains overflow spreading stink.

Residents complain rarely seeing drains cleaned and if done, simply silt is dumped on the edge of the drains, which again flows into drains.

Nabha, September 7
The state Information Commission, Punjab, fined two public information officers (PIOs) of the Municipal Council of the town Rs 10,000 for failure to furnish information under the RTI Act, 2005, with direction to the civic body to pay compensation of Rs 7,500 to the complainant in two cases. The complainant in both cases was the same.

The commission observed the information sought by Vijay Kumar, contractor of Nabha, on August 2, 2007, under the RTI Act, was supplied in March 2008. The commission felt that PIO Bhagwant Sidhu and deemed PIO Surinder Kumar Kaushal of Nabha MC had failed to perform duties with care and the duo had scant regard for the RTI Act and delayed the information on flimsy grounds.

State information commissioner Kulbir Sidhu has fined Bhagwant and Surinder Rs 10,000. They are directed to deposit the fine in the state treasury within 10 days.The MC has also been directed to pay Rs 5,000 to the complainant as compensation.

Moga, September 7
The sessions court here has acquitted former Municipal Council chief and Akali leader Dr Kuldip Singh Gill of charge of bribery and fraud with tenants of a market.

Then superintendent of police (Vigilance Bureau) of the Ferozepur range Anita Punj booked Dr Gill under Sections 409, 420 of the IPC and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case was registered on August 30, 2002, at
Ferozepur.

A few shopkeepers of Guru Nanak market had complained that Dr Gill took Rs 1.75 lakh from them in 2000 as bribe to transfer proprietary rights of shops in their names.

They said the then MC president backed out from the promise made to them and denied taking money from them.

Additional sessions judge Amarjot Kaur Bhatti, agreeing to the arguments of the defence counsel, acquitted Dr Gill of all charges on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Dr Gill, after acquittal said the case was registered against him under the pressure of Congress leaders to settle political scores.

Mohali, September 7
The Punjab tourism department is keen on promoting Chhatbir Zoo (Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park) as a major tourist centre. Under the sponsored scheme of the government of India, around Rs 35 lakh are being spent on up gradation of visitor-related facilities.

Various facilities like toilets, drinking water, rain shelters and reception centre would be added in the zoo. The issues were discussed in a recent meeting chaired by the deputy commissioner, Mohali, Rahul
Bhandari.

The DC told the Tribune that under the centrally-sponsored project, the facilities at the zoo were reviewed.

The meeting was attended by the zoo director, ADC (Development), XEN (Panchayati Raj), and block development and panchayat
officer(BDPO).

Amritsar, September 7
Indian smuggler Sonu was killed on the spot in the firing by the BSF jawans while his accomplice Partap Singh (20) was nabbed near zero line at Rajatal village last night. Their accomplices, who gave them fire cover, escaped.

Four packets of heroin, a sword, three cartridges having mark of Pakistani village Wah were seized. The yellow tape used for packaging the contraband was similar to the one used in bundles of the fake currency smuggled from across the border recently.

A BSF jawan had a miraculous escape when Sonu attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon.

Abohar, September 7
Three pilgrims were killed and 19 injured when two buses of Rajasthan Roadways collided on the National Highway 15 this afternoon, sources confirmed late in the evening. Most of the victims were from
Abohar.

Many pilgrims had boarded the Abohar-Bikaner train here last night for their onward journey to Runecha Dham (Ramdevra), located near Pokaran in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, where an annual fair is in full swing. They boarded the bus from
Bikaner.

The sources said the three pilgrims died on the spot. One of them had been identified as Bhanwar Dass of Idgah Basti here while another as Kalu Ram, the driver of the ill-fated bus.